Sophia magdalena rivers



(No Model.)

S. M. RIVERS.

LAP BOARD.

No; 564,843. Patented July 28, 1896;

' fig.- 3

WITNESSES: INVENTOR ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SOPHIA MAGDALENA RIVERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

- LAP-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 564,843, dated July 28, 1896.

Application filed November 16, 1895. Serial No. 569,224. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SOPHIA MAGDALENA RIVERS, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lap-Boards, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to lap-boards especially adapted for basting purposes, and the object of the invention is to provide a board having a curved or substantially cylindrical outer face and fitted to the lap of a person, the board being either lined upon the inside or provided with a frictional surface at that point, the outer face of the board being so prepared that a pattern, for example, or the material from which a waist or similar garment is to be made, may be attached to the said outer face in a convenient manner.

Another object of the invention is to construct a board of the character above set forth in an exceedingly simple, durable, and economic manner.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved lap-board applied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the board viewed from the bottom and illustrating the inner surface thereof as lined; and Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the inner face of the board, however, being provided with projections for frictional engagement with the lap of the user of the board.

All such garments as waists require the outside goods from which the garment is to be made to be stretched and pinned or otherwise secured to a table or board. The boards heretofore employed have been made fiat, and when the lining is laid on the outside material loosely, as is required, and is to be basted in that position, it is almost impossible to take up the stitches from the fiat surface without rendering the work exceedingly slow and tedious.

The main object of my invention is to overcome the aforesaid difiiculties by constructing a lap-board with a curved, arched, or cylindrical face for the reception of the goods.

The board A may be made of any suitable material, as, for example, wood of a light weight, stout pasteboard, papier-mach, or their equivalents; and when the material of which the body of the board is constructed is so hard as not to admit of. the reception of a pin or like fastening device, the outer face of the board may be covered with a smooth material, such as oil-cloth or the like, adapted to readily receive a pin. The board is arched, curved, or made substantially circular in cross-section, and preferably the said board forms practically a circle at its outer end; but it may be made segmental or semicircular if in practice it is found desirable. When the board is made circular, it is provided in its bottom surface with an opening B, cut from the inner or rear edge and extending a predetermined distance in direction of the outer or front edge, and the board is of such size and the opening B is so formed that the opening will admit of the board being nicely adjusted to the lap of the operator, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

When the board is constructed of any material presenting a smooth inner face, the said inner face is provided with a covering 0 of a fabric or a like material, so as to obtain a sufficient frictional engagement between the lap of the person and the inner face of the board to insure the board remaining in position on the lap without particular attention on the part of the user; or, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the lining may be omitted, and ribs D, corrugations, or their equivalents may be produced either diametrically or circumferentially on the inner surface of the board to obtain suitable frictional contact with the lap, or the inner surface of the board may be otherwise roughened.

Under this construction of lap-board,when the outside goods of the garment is secured to the outer face of the board and the lining is laid loosely thereon, the two parts may be expeditiously and conveniently basted together, since there will be no difficulty in taking the proper stitches on the rounded surface.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Alap-board rounded in form being substantially circular in cross-section, the said lap-board having an opening or recess formed in its bottom portion and extending from its 5 inner edge to a predetermined distance in direction of its outer orfront edge,whereby the lap of the user may enter the said board, the outer end of the board beyond the said recess forming practically a circle, as and for the 10 purpose set forth.

2. A lap-board having a rounded or curved outer face and provided with a recess in its under portion adapted to fit the lap of the user, the inner concave face of the board being provided with a frictional surface, as and I 5 for the purpose specified.

SOPHIA MAGDALENA RIVERS. lVitnesses:

FRANK O. RIVERS,

IRENE B. GoNNoLLY. 

